Learning to play games, a 40-year-old woman achieves a remarkable turnaround.

Chapter 30 A Housekeeping Company That's All Pretense

Yuan Bao stepped into the "Jiajia" housekeeping company with high expectations. As soon as he entered, a woman who looked to be in her early thirties greeted him at the front desk. Her enthusiasm was like that of a long-lost relative. She rushed forward and said warmly, "You must be the woman who called to apply for the job earlier, right? Come on, this way, let's go to the meeting room and have a good chat."

Yuan Bao was stunned. She opened her mouth, but before she could explain that she wasn't there for an interview but to find a housekeeping service to help clean her new home, the swift and energetic receptionist led her to the meeting room without further ado.

Upon entering the meeting room, Yuan Bao found it amusing and was about to reveal her identity when the receptionist deftly poured her a glass of warm water and placed it in front of her. Then, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, she began to introduce the broad prospects of the current domestic service industry.

Seeing this scene, Yuan Bao realized that the receptionist had probably mistaken her for the person she had just spoken to on the phone. What a fool! Didn't she even bother to ask and confirm?

However, Yuan Bao's curiosity was piqued, so he patiently listened to the receptionist's explanation.

The receptionist's eloquence was simply amazing. She talked non-stop, from postpartum caregivers to infant care, from lactation consultants to home-based elderly care, and then to housekeeping services. She spoke with such enthusiasm and passion.

One moment he was emphasizing how great the demand in these industries is and how high the customer requirements are, and the next he was talking about how generous the salary and returns are. He went on and on, leaving Yuan Bao dumbfounded.

Finally, the receptionist emphasized, "The ladies who work here, no matter what they do, earn between 8 and 2 yuan a month!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Bao's heart skipped a beat. He exclaimed inwardly, "Wow! A monthly salary of 8 to over 2 yuan is comparable to that of a mid-to-senior level executive in a company. Can this really be true?"

Such a high salary was too tempting, and Yuan Bao couldn't help but ask curiously, "So what are the requirements for me to apply? Home care for the elderly means going to their homes to take care of them, right? And housekeeping means going to their homes to clean?"

The receptionist nodded eagerly: "Yes, yes, they even help with cooking when they come to your home."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Bao thought to himself that he usually did these kinds of work at home, so it shouldn't be a problem for him. He replied, "Oh, I know how to do these two things, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Seeing that Yuan Bao was interested, the receptionist's eyes lit up even more, and she continued to persuade him, "Hmm, I think you can definitely do it. But I see that your hands are so white and tender, they'd be perfect for being a lactation consultant. Lactation consultants earn more, and having an extra skill means you can have a wider client base, right?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Bao waved her hands repeatedly: "But I don't know how to be a lactation consultant!"

"That's alright, you can learn!" The receptionist smiled broadly and patted her chest to assure them, "Customers have high standards these days. Our housekeeping company has standardized service procedures and procedures, so everyone has to undergo professional training. Only after passing the company's assessment will you be assigned jobs."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Bao felt that it seemed reasonable at first glance, so he continued to inquire further: "How long is the training? Is there a fee?"

"The training courses are all taught by highly professional instructors in our industry. The training time depends on the individual's learning pace. Some people are quick learners and can pass the assessment in two weeks; others are slower, it varies from person to person. But that's okay, I'll take you to see our training department, and you'll see how professional it is right away." With that, the receptionist enthusiastically pulled Yuan Bao towards the training department.

After taking a tour, Yuan Bao had to admit that the environment was indeed quite good. There were two training rooms where classes were in session. One room had seven or eight people sitting in it, while the other room had only three people sitting sparsely. It looked quite professional.

The two returned to the meeting room, where the receptionist continued, "Our housekeeping company currently offers five courses: maternity nurse, infant care, lactation consultant, elderly care, and housekeeping services. The company generally recommends that all five positions participate in the training. We can then arrange assessments for different positions, which will help us increase our income."

Yuan Bao became increasingly suspicious of the high salary, thinking there must be something fishy going on. So he asked the crucial question: "Is the training free or paid?"

The receptionist paused slightly, still smiling, and replied softly, "The training fee is 3000 yuan per position, which needs to be collected and entered into the company's online system."

“3000 yuan per position, that’s 15,000 yuan for 5 positions!” Yuan Bao exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes wide. “When are we going to pay this money?”

The receptionist explained somewhat anxiously, "This training fee is payable upon joining the company because personal information needs to be entered into the system. You can only participate in the assessment after completing the training."

Yuan Bao frowned, feeling increasingly uneasy, and pressed further, "15,000 yuan is no small sum. Can't it be deducted from your salary? Also, is this system a nationwide network or an industry-wide network?"

The receptionist's eyes darted away for a moment before she quickly said, "Oh, no, this system was developed and designed by our company. However, many housekeeping companies have joined us and are now using this unified system."

Yuan Bao's mind raced, and she suddenly realized that when she worked in human resources, she knew that any company or enterprise that charged fees under the guise of recruitment, including training fees, was most likely a scam.

Now she understood perfectly well that this was clearly a scam using high-salary recruitment as a pretext to collect exorbitant training fees.

The company's recruitment, training, and operational processes seem reasonable, and it might even receive some so-called in-home business from clients. However, in reality, the true profit point or focus of such housekeeping companies is to charge exorbitant training fees.

Yuan Bao couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "This is outrageous!" Most of the people who do housekeeping or maternity care are older women or aunties.

They originally came with the idea of ​​making money, attracted by the so-called high salary. Upon joining the company, they paid 15,000 yuan upfront. It is estimated that very few people can persevere through the training process, let alone pass the assessment.

At that point, the domestic service company can turn the tables and say that the employees themselves didn't persist with the training and failed the assessment.

Even if someone persists in the training and passes the assessment, the housekeeping company might assign them one or two jobs at first, but they will definitely face a long wait afterward. After all, the company doesn't make money from the fees for services like maternity nurses and housekeeping; instead, it focuses on making high training fees.

Yuan Bao felt there was no need to waste any more time here, so he told the receptionist directly, "I'm not here to apply for a job; I'm looking for someone to come and help me clean my home."

Upon hearing this, the receptionist's face turned pale and then red, extremely embarrassed. She was stunned for a while before she reacted and stammered, "Yes, I... I'll introduce you to our top-notch housekeeper. Please wait a moment while I get the information."

Yuan Bao refused without hesitation: "No need. You are a housekeeping company that is all talk and no action. I don't want to be an accomplice in your fraudulent schemes, and I don't believe in your so-called professionalism."

After saying that, Yuan Bao strode away, leaving the receptionist standing there, blushing and embarrassed, stunned on the spot.

As Yuan Bao walked, he secretly rejoiced that he had been careful enough not to fall into the trap of this fraudulent company, but he couldn't help feeling a little regretful, wondering how many people had already been deceived.